case brief and case analysis.docx

case brief and case analysis.docx

《case brief and case analysis.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《case brief and case analysis.docx（16页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

casebriefandcaseanalysis

Howtobrieftheopinionofacase

Ajudicialdecisionoropinionisastatementbyajudgeexplainingwhyhedecidedthecasethewayhedid.Sincethereisnotaunifiedformatofhowtodraftanopinion,differentjudgeswritetheopiniondifferently,basedontheirpersonalwritingstyles.Nomatterhowdifferenttheopinionsmaybe,eachopinionisexpectedtocontainasummaryoftheproceduralhistoryofthecase,astatementoffacts,anexplanationofthereasonsthatleadtotheconclusion,andtheconclusionofthedecision.

ComponentsofAJudicialDecision

Undertheruleofstaredecisisacourtisboundtofollowthepriordecisionsmadebythehighercourtswithinthesamejurisdictionorbythecourtitselfwhenthecausesofactionoftheprecedentsarethesameasthecausesofactionofthenewcase,andwhenthematerialfactsoftheprecedentsaresimilarasthefactsbeforethecourt.However,evenifacourtisboundtofollowaprecedent,noteverythingsaidbyacourtinitsjudgmentinacasehasauthorityasprecedent.Thepriordecisionmaybeverylongandcontainsvariousparts.Ajudicialopinioniscomposedoftwomainparts.Onepartisthepropositionoflawwhichisnecessaryforitsdecisiononthefactsofthatparticularcase.Sincethispartcarriesauthorityasprecedentandisbindingundertheruleofstaredecisis,itiscalledratiodecidendiorholdingofthedecision.Thesecondpartistheremaininglanguageintheopinionwhichisreferredtoasobiterdictumordicta,whichcarrieslessweightinlegalargument.

Holding-ratiodecidendi

Holdingisthepartofadecisionwhichestablishesthelegalprinciplesandruleswhichcarrybindingauthorityunderthedoctrineofstaredecisis.Itisalsocalled"ratiodecidendi."Itexplainsthereasonorgroundforthedecision.Thusitisveryimportanttolocatetheholdingofacaseinordertoapplytheprecedentrule.Sometimesthecourtitselfwillannounceitsholdingintheopinion,butothertimesthecourtwillnotexplicitlyannounceitandyouhavetolocatetheholdingthroughyourownexaminingoftheopinion.Sometimesthecourtmayusetheterm"holding"sayingthattheholdingissomething,however,thismaynotbethetrueholdingandaftercarefulexamination,youmayfindtheactualholdingissomethingelse.Alsotheholdingarticulatedbythecourtsmaybetoobroadornarrow.Sincetheholdingofacaseistheruleoflawthatcomesfromthatdecision,itmustincludethecourt'sdecisionastothequestionthatwasactuallybeforethecourt.Therefore,anaccurateholdingshouldincludeboththeimportantfactsofthatlitigatedcaseandthereasonsthatthecourtgavefordecidingtheissueasitdidbasedonthosefacts.Thus,theholdingisdifferentfromgeneralprinciplesoflaw.Aprincipleoflawtellsyouthelegalrulewhileaholdingtellsyouboththefactsandtheruleapplicablespecificallytothesefacts.Ifacourtinacontractcasesays"acontractrequiresanofferandanacceptance,"thatisapurelegalprinciplethathascomefrommanyyearsofcontractlitigation,butitisnotnecessarilyastatementoftheholdingofthecasebecauseitdoesnotspecificallymentionthefactsofthecase.Theholdingwouldbeastatementlike,"WhenBproducedafraudulentpunchboardasrequiredbytheadvertisement,heacceptedtheofferandacontracthasbeenformed."Thisstatementcontainsboththekeyfactsandtheelementsoflawsupportingthereason.

ObiterDictum

"Obiterdictum"or"dicta"means"asayingbytheway,"referringtoallthelanguagescontainedinthedecisionthatarenotpartoftheholding.Thispartoftheopiniondoesnothavethebindingauthorityonlatercourts.Itincludesstatementsorobservationsmadebyacourtinitsjudgmentwhichwerenotnecessaryforitsdecision.Statementsthataredictaarenotalwaysunimportant,however.Sometimesthedictainacasebecomemoreimportantinlateryearsthantheholdingofthecasebecausedictareflectotherjudges'concernsandoftenindicatehowacourtwouldruleinthefuture,givenaparticularsetoffacts.

TheEssentialElementsofanOpinion

Whenanalyzingacase,youmayneedtosummarizetheopinionsinceeachopinioncouldbelengthyandmaycontainmanyissuesandyoumaynotaffordtore-readittofindtheusefulinformation.Suchasummaryiscalled"acasesummary"byEnglishlawyersand"acasebrief"byAmericanattorneys.Basically,acasesummaryisanorganized,writtensummaryoftheimportantelementsofacase.Althoughjudicialopinionscancontainmanythings,severalcomponentsarecritical.Thesearetheproceduralhistoryofthecase,adescriptionofthelegallyrelevantfacts,astatementofthelegalissueorissuespresentedfordecision,theholdingofthecase,thepoliciesandreasonsthatsupporttheholding,andthejudgment.

Thefollowingexampledescribesthebasicelementsofajudicialopinion:

Statev.Jones

（1）Jonesappealshisconvictionforpossessionofmarijuana.

（2）WhenthepolicestoppedandsearchedJones'van,theyfoundanounceofmarijuanainabackpackinthefarrearofthevehicle.（3）AlthoughJonesadmittedheknewthemarijuanawasthere,hedefendedagainstthechargebyclaimingthatthebackpackanddrugsbelongedtoahitchhikerwhohadbeenridingwithhimandwhohadaccidentallylefttheminthevan.（4）Inthisstate,itispresumedthatdrugsareinthepossessionofthepersonwhocontrolsthem.（5）TheissueinthiscaseiswhetherthemarijuanawaswithinJones'controleventhoughitwasinabackpackintherearofhisvan.（6）Thatthebackpackanddrugsmayhavebeenownedbysomeoneelseisirrelevant.（7）Publicpolicydictatesthatpossessionshouldnotbesynonymouswithownershipbecausethedifficultyofprovingownershipwouldpermittoomanydrugoffenderstoevadeprosecution.（8）Itissensibletoassumethatanythinginsideavehicleiswithinthecontrolofthedriver.（9）WeholdthatJonespossessedmarijuanabecausethebackpackwaswithinJones'vanandthusunderhiscontrol.（10）Affirmed.

Alloftheessentialelementsofacaseareintheaboveexample.Sentence

（1）setsouttheproceduralhistory.Sentences

（2）and（3）givethelegallyrelevantfacts.Sentence（5）istheissuepresentedfordecisionbytheappellatecourt.Sentence（9）isthecourt'sholding.Sentence（4）givestheruleoflawapplicabletothisfactualsituation.Sentences（6）,（7）,and（8）arereasonsandpoliciesthatsupporttheholding.Sentence（10）isthejudgmentofthecase.

Thisisagoodexampleofacaseopinionwhichcontainsallofthebasicelements,butnoteverycasehasbeenwritteninsuchaclearandorganizedway.However,eachcaseshouldcontaintheseelements.

Beforefurtherdiscussingeachpartindividually,seeanexampleofacasebrief.Whenreadingit,thinkhowmuchinformationyougetoutofit.

BriefofCarlillv.CarbolicSmokeBallCo.

Ct.ofApp.,1892,1Q.B.256（1893）

ProceduralHistory:

CarlillbroughtanactionagainsttheCarbolicSmokeBallCo.torecoverdamagesforbreachofcontract.ThetrialcourtawardeddamagesintheamountoftheoriginaladvertisedrewardtoCarlill.TheCarbolicSmokeBallCo.broughtthisappeal.

Facts:

TheCarbolicSmokeBallCo.advertisedinvariousnewspapersarewardtoanypersonwhocontractedinfluenza,colds,oranydiseasecausedbytakingcoldafterhavingusedtheCarbolicSmokeBallthreetimesdailyfortwoweeksaccordingtoprinteddirectionsoneachball.Carlillusedtheballasdirectedbutstillcaughttheinfluenza.

Issue:

Whenacompanyadvertisesarewardtoanyonewhoperformscertainconditionsandsomeoneperformssuchconditions,hasavalidcontractbeenformed?

Holding:

Yes,anadvertisedrewardtoanyonewhoperformscertainconditionsspecifiedintheadvertisementisanoffer,andtheperformanceofsuchconditionsisanacceptancewhichcreatesavalidcontract.

Reasons:

Theadvertisementclearlyofferedarewardtoanyonewhoperformedcertainspecifiedconditions.Sincesuchanadvertisementrequestsdeeds,notwords,anoffereeneednotgivenoticethatheisgoingtoperformtherequireddeeds.Assuch,whenCarlillperformedtheseconditionsshewasentitledtothereward.Furthermore,thereisnobasistotheCarbolicSmokeBallCo.'scontentionthattherewasnoconsiderationforitspromise.AnyacceptanceoftheCompany'sofferbenefiteditbystimulatingsalesofthesmokeball,andfurthermore,Carlillwasinconveniencedbyusingtheball.

Judgment:

Thetrialcourt'sdecisionisaffirmed.

Theoriginalopinionofthiscaseismuchlonger.Youmayhaveunderstoodtheruleoflaworthereasoningbehinditthroughyourfirstreading,however,whenyouneedtousethoseinformation,itisnotuncommonthatyoufindyouhavetotallyforgotit,oryourmemoryonlyreveals.avagueimpression.Thenyouhavetoreadthelongopinionagain.However,ifyoudraftacasebriefasabove,itisveryconcisebutincludesallessentialpartsofthecase.Reviewingthecasebriefthatislessthanonepagewillnotbedifficultforyouatall.Youwritecasebriefnotonlyforyourownuse.Sometimesyouneedtopresentittoyourcolleaguesorsupervisorswhoaretoobusytoreadtheoriginalopinion.Thereforebriefingcasesisoneoftheimportantlawyeringskills.

Now,afterdiscussingthebasicstructureandelementsofajudicialopinion,wewilldestructajudicialopinionandstudyeachofitselementsindividually.

1．ProceduralHistory

Whenbriefingacase,attorneysshouldfirstlocatetheproceduralhistoryofthecaseandthenwriteitdownasthefirstpartofthecasebrief.Thepurposeofspottingtheproceduralhistoryistopinpointthecurrentproceduralstat